INFLUENCER MARKETING
The most common pastime these days seems to be social media sites; a decade ago, these were only seen as a networking space, but this has, however, changed significantly. Social media is now a platform that one can use to establish themselves as self-proclaimed artists based on the experience that they have mustered over the years in their field of interest.
The impact of this rise has led to the emergence of a new section of celebrities, which is new to a country like India, where this status was usually awarded to movie or cricket personalities.
THE MASSIVE OUTREACH
It’s interesting to note how anyone who has access to internet data packs and a phone or camera can start making content and can gain significant visibility over the years once they have established a loyal follower base.
The beauty of this phenomenon is also that it has a diverse background to it; it’s inclusive in the sense that you can make content about anything, and people who follow your page will if they find it relatable or helpful. The spectrum of identities and backgrounds that social media influencers come from is wide, be it lifestyle gurus, makeup artists, or people educating or spreading awareness around topics that were earlier considered taboo, and none of these categories are restricted by your age or gender.
The platform has been particularly helpful to promulgate ideas about all bodies being beautiful, to the relevance of mentioning your pronouns.
The platform also has its cons with toxic comments or messages messing with one’s mental health and even causing doubts about self-image, because not everyone who watches your content is your fan. Nevertheless, the followers who are actually there for the content can help the influencer reach celebrity status.
Owing to this massive following, we even see social media stars now being cast in movies and their essential incorporation into the mainstream and traditional entertainment industry, companies realise the influential power that these new-age stars hold, and hence they are also given collaboration offers for brand promotion.
MARKETING TOOL
The social media celebrities have also seen an increased visibility in the digital marketing sphere, owing to the influence they have.
Even though they are not necessarily traditionally established experts in the field, the lived experience that they have gives them a sense of expertise, and people are hence more inclined to trust them.
It is a powerful tactic to reach out to existing as well as potential consumers. The impact of this has been such that we see all major brands as well as small businesses trying to sketch a strong and impactful digital marketing outline.
This is in sharp contrast to the earlier, traditional celebrity-brand endorsement, given that, unlike the celebrity from movies or sports, these influencers are not just attached to the product by aiming to promote it. This is so because the influencer has to maintain an active follower base, because it is through the followers that they get the sort of traction that they want to achieve.
The various media used by these influencers are reels, short videos, or just an incorporation of the product or service in the snippet of their larger video. This could also look like just a picture of the influencer with the product or a brand offer that you get if they shop in their name. The future of social media has a heavy inclination toward marketing, given that most of the social networking sites don’t function around subscription models.
The medium is also beneficial for consumers who get access to the lived experience of someone who has used the product or service firsthand. The social implication of this is also that anyone can become an influencer; you don’t necessarily have to follow the mainstream way to the entertainment industry to get access to celebrity status.